The Witch's Cursed Doll
by Miss March Muffin
Summary: Mai and the gang are yet again on another dangerous case - one filled with puppet strings, curses and more tea. But who is the real puppet master? When victims are switched and trinkets come alive for murder, will they be able to come out alive? R&R pls.
1. Prologue

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**GHOST HUNT FANFIC (Teaser)**

**Genre: Horror, Suspense**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. No matter how many airplanes or stars I wish on, it is just not possible to own something that was created when I just learned how to read and write.**

* * *

**Prologue**

**[O]**

Mai let out a heavy breath, desperate to rid herself of the sinking feeling in her stomach. But no matter how many times she tried to focus on calming herself down, or how many times she tried to enter a random trail of thought, the uneasy feeling she had seemed intent on staying with her until she reached base.

She was on her way back to their base after checking on one last camera. Considering the fact that there was only one more camera left to be checked and its location not too far from base, Mai let Bou-san and Yasuhara go ahead of her; besides, those two were quite ravenous already since they had an early lunch and had been without food for hours on end (and it was around 7 in the evening already). She convinced them both that it was just around the corner so they didn't have to starve themselves any longer. Eventually, and quite reluctantly, they finally left her.

Despite what she said about the room being 'just around the corner' from base, she somehow found herself inevitably, irrevocably, unintentionally and hopelessly, **lost.** She couldn't understand it either. She was so sure that base was just on the next hallway to the left! She even made sure of that but when she did, she found she couldn't recognize the hallway. She went back and tried to retrace her steps but when she did, she couldn't find the room she put the camera in.

"What the hell is going on in here? I couldn't have just magically transported to the opposite wing, could I? I could've sworn I have only been walking for a minute or so." Mai said, as she searched for that sitting room she had been in.

"Ugh, great; this is just _great_! No doubt that by the time I finally reach base, that narcissist would tell me off about my lack of sense of direction." She grumbled to herself.

She slowed her pace when the uneasy feeling in her stomach just reached its peak. That was when her mind finally registered the unnatural eerie silence in the mansion. The temperature seemed to be going down as well; she figured that any lower and she would soon see her breath in front of her.

_This is bad. I have to get out of here fast! This place is too creepy for my liking._ Mai thought; her 'animal instincts', as Naru had dubbed, kicking in.

Just as she pressed the speed dial button on her cell (Bou-san and Ayako gave it to her as Christmas present), she felt a strong presence watching her. The strands on the back of her neck bristled as she saw a dark figure at the far end of the hallway. She couldn't quite make out who it was but she knew it was nowhere to be found on the 'friend list'. She stopped on her tracks, her insides plummeting to dark oblivion and her heart beating loudly in her ears. She was too encaged with fear to notice that Naru had already been calling her name for several times on the phone; nor did she register the fact that with each time, the worry in his voice was becoming more apparent. Lowering her arms ever so slowly, she took a cautious, tiny step backward. However, as she did, the thing came forward, with so much speed that in one move, it was already hovering a few meters away from her; the overhead lights behind it simultaneously going off with a bang. Her breath hitched in her throat as she recognized the entity.

It was the old mannequin of an old Japanese woman, with thick, bushy black wig and a worn out plain white kimono on her slightly slouched form. Her face was partially hidden by her hair but still managed to show a creepy smile. What freaked Mai out the most was the blood running down the face of the statue coming from several punctured wounds made by a couple of arrows on its head; the same blood running down its hands and feet.

Mai felt chills run up and down her spine, her heart beating a thousand times per second. Inside, she was screaming in her mind for her body to move, run, with all her might but her muscles seemed to refuse to do such a thing. She was trembling badly with fear now; so much that it took her a lot of effort just to put her other foot backwards as well.

Again, the statue moved forward as well, more lights going off as it now stood, just a few feet from her.

"…_Traitors..."_ it said in a raspy voice as it slowly raised its head, revealing glowing red eyes, wide open with a crazy expression.

"_ALL OF YOU ARE TRAITORS!"_ it screamed as it lunged forward.

And Mai, with all her pent up fear in her, screamed as loud as she could, for all she was worth.

Then, the hallway became brightly lit again, a peaceful silence blanketing the whole place as if nothing had happened; just as her cellphone dropped to the ground with a loud echoing clatter in the otherwise empty hall.

**[O]**

* * *

**The End :P **

**~I know, it's a freaking cliffhanger. That's actually the whole point. I made this during Halloween of 2010 but I couldn't decide if I should continue or not since I still have a multi-chaptered fic on the way. So, gimme your opinions, suggestions and stuff you want to see in this pending fanfic.**

**PS:**

**For those who've read my other ghost hunt fanfic, "Consequences" I am sorry to say that I will soon delete it already. I do not even know what came over me because in my eyes, the story was getting quite out of hand. So I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. I will most probably re-post it after some time (but not soon) such that it will be worth all those support you have given me. For the mean time, please enjoy this one. No, I am not stopping the other one. It will just be out for 'remodeling' if I may say so.**

**Thanks!**

**~yours truly,**

**aniAngelxx :3**


	2. Chapter 1

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**Disclaimer: I absolutely DO NOT own Ghost Hunt. All rights to Fuyumi Ono-sensei.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**April 6, Tuesday**

**1:48 pm**

The day started out like any other – the office was relatively quiet; my narcissistic boss/boyfriend would occasionally ask for his daily dose of earl gray tea; and of course, the sound of Lin's fingers tapping his laptop's keyboard in a quick and somehow rhythmic pattern. John, Masako, Yasu, Bou-san and Ayako – who had finally become an official couple during the few months that Naru and Lin were gone for England – weren't here today; Bou-san was having a concert tonight with his band and Ayako was currently helping out at her parents' hospital since there had been a lot of patients today and a few of their doctors had taken an unexpected leave. John has been busy helping out at the orphanage since last week; Yasuhara was on a vacation with his family and Masako was busy filming.

Two years have passed since the first time I met Naru and the rest of SPR, and a couple of things have changed; I don't think that any one of us expected us to end up being so closely knit to each other considering we pretty much had a rough start. But look at us now; Bou-san and Ayako have been together for more than a year now; Naru and I have started going out as well – a few months after Bou-san and Ayako got together – and Masako and I, believe it or not, have become close friends with each other. Yasuhara has recently become a full timer as well.

I was also on my second year of college now and God, is it hell! Good thing I have a genius for a boyfriend; now I get free tutor sessions! Well, that is, unless you count an extra batch of earl gray tea.

I sighed in boredom as I stretched; I just finished with the filing of the papers and other than that, I have nothing else to do. I stifled a yawn while my gaze drifted to the picture frames that were on my desk. One was a group picture of the whole SPR during our small get-togethers. The other one was of me and Naru on our first date; that was the first time I ever saw Naru become so flustered. Even now, I still giggle at the memory of it. And then, the last picture was of my parents and me, when I was only two years old when we went to the beach.

Without meaning to, I eventually dozed off and fell asleep on my desk. At first, my dreams were just a mere swirl of colors and blurred senses. Midway, I subconsciously registered the feeling of someone calling my name faintly and gently, before something warm enveloped me. I merely sighed in contentment. . . What? I was half asleep! I thought it was only in my dreams!

Well, anyways, I woke up to find myself on the sofa with a dark coat serving as my blanket. Wait, isn't this…Naru's? I blushed lightly at the thought of him doing what I _think_ he just did. I giggled slightly; he can be so sweet when no one is watching. What a shy person he really was; it was so adorable at times!

Just then, I finally registered the fact that instead of the bright yellow sunlight streaming through the windows, everything seemed to be bathed in an orange-y light. My eyes, glanced up at the wall clock which clearly stated the time - 3:15 pm. Oh my goodness, I slept for _that_ long?!

I quickly sat up and folded Naru's jacket on my arm before quickly proceeding for the kitchen to make some tea and an apology speech. Even if my boss _was_ my boyfriend, that workaholic narcissist made it _very_ clear that our relationship wouldn't affect our performances at work. No excuses, no exceptions. But I guess it's only right. I mean, I don't think I could have the guts to be…er, um intimate during work. So everything's cool.

After setting the tea on the tray, I made my way slowly and carefully to Lin's office first. I gently nudged the door with my foot.

"Lin-san, I made some tea," I said in a moderate voice.

I heard the typing stop for a while and then the shuffling of feet, before he opened the door. I smiled up at the tall Chinese man who returned it with a small one. Over time, Lin has become less hostile and more sociable; not only with me, but with the other SPR irregulars as well. It's actually quite surprising to find that even he has his own (although sometimes twisted,) sense of humor. You wouldn't believe how much he teases Naru!

After giving the Chinese man his own cup of Chinese green tea (I had started to experiment on what kind of tea Lin liked the most; so far it's only been mint, I think), I smiled and waved my hand before heading for the devil's room.

I swallowed hard and mustered up my courage to knock on the door. Just as my fist was only an inch away from the door, a deep, monotone voice was heard from inside the room.

"Mai, tea."

I couldn't stop the smile from crossing my face at the irony; sigh~ I know him so well already. I knocked twice before waiting for his signal.

Opening the door, I saw the workaholic hunched over his desk behind two high stacks of paper, a light glow from his pc illuminating the obvious stress lines on his face.

He looked up at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well that was fast," he said. I chuckled lightly before plastering a sheepish grin.

"Oh well, you see, I was just about to give you one anyway as an apology for accidentally dozing off." I scratched the back of my head after putting his cup of tea down.

Naru snorted as if to say _'Since when did you not doze off?'_ to which, Mai pouted. Sighing, she went over to him with her hands on her hips.

"So, what's got you so stressed? You know you could take a breather for just a while and let me do it for you. I'm all done with the filing anyway," I told him, putting my hands on his shoulder to massage them.

He sighed in resignation and closed his eyes, leaning a bit towards me. Wow, he must really be stressed over something; I've rarely seen him this tired before.

He took a deep breath and released it in one big sigh.

"No need, Mai. I can handle this; no need for you to meddle with this." He told me in his usual impassive tone. I gave him the _'Oh really? I don't believe you,'_ look. But Naru remained stubborn and only ignored my look. Sighing exasperatedly, I gave up knowing that the iceberg known as Oliver Davis aka Naru wouldn't relent no matter what I do. Hmm, maybe I could sneak in when he isn't here and do some of it for him. Yes, that would be it. I would have to take note though to do it as discreetly as possible – even though I know he'll find out later. But oh well, it's worth it, in my opinion.

"Sigh, if you say so," I told him.

I glanced up at the time to see it was almost 4. Oh gosh, I remembered that I had that project due tomorrow for Kanazawa-san's Psychology class. Oh man, I guess here comes another all-nighter for me.

"Anyways, um, I need to go now, Naru. I still have a project for psychology due tomorrow. So I need to get going. See you tomorrow, I guess." I told him before retrieving the tray and heading out of his office.

* * *

**April 7, Wednesday**

**2:20 pm**

"Sorry I took so long. Professor Sasaki talked to me about some extra-curricular papers since she thought I had done well in the last paper assignment," I said as I shrugged off my coat and hung my bag upon entering SPR. God that was exhausting. I was a bit surprised when Naru called right after classes had ended; apparently, he just got a case and we were to meet as soon as possible.

Upon entering the main room, I grinned at the sight of everyone chatting there. It's been awhile since I last saw all of them; everyone had been pretty busy for the past two weeks.

Bou-san was the first to spot me; and a second later, I was enveloped in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Oh Mai-chan! It's been so long since I saw you last! And I swear, you seem to become more and more beautiful each time I see you! How have you been? Has the mean ol' iceberg-in-black been good to you?" he exclaimed, hugging me even tighter. I, on the other hand, was focusing more on trying to bet some space and air.

As usual, his overly exaggerated outburst was followed by a resounding 'THWACK' as Ayako's fist collided with the back of Bou-san's head. And then another round of profanities, as per usual, which started off their 'friendly' exchange. Note the sarcasm on the word 'friendly'.

I giggled a bit at their antics; sometimes, they seem more like a married couple whenever they do that.

I then turned to Yasuhara, Masako and John who were sitting at the couch on the other side of the room.

"Good afternoon, Mai-san. How was your day?" John greeted with his usual benign smile.

"Hello John! I've been doing fine so far; how about you? How are the things going at the orphanage?" I replied, returning a smile of my own.

"The orphanage has been doing fine lately. The children have been looking forward to seeing you again after last week's visit," he replied.

"Is that so? Well then, I guess I now know where I'll be headed to after this case," I said in a playful tone.

Over the past few years, I've been making frequent visits to the orphanage; sometimes, I even bring some of my friends at school to take care of the orphanage. Just last week I went there taught them how to cook a simple egg omelet; to this day, I haven't had the stomach to even think of omelets for breakfast.

Then Masako and I had a little catching up since I haven't seen her for almost a month now due to her shows and both our colleges. Yasuhara would join in from time to time, and for a moment, everything was so perfect.

…And then _he_ came and cleared his throat loudly, effectively discontinuing all other conversation.

"Need I remind you that this is a working place, and not a café?" He said coldly, evidently irritated.

Everyone then went to their seats and went into business mode while I headed off to the kitchen to fetch everyone their usual beverages; earl gray tea for Naru and Ayako, iced coffee for Bou-san, chinese green tea for Lin-san, iced tea for Yasu, and chamomile tea for Ayako and I.

As I was preparing all these, I listened in to Naru's report. From the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, he's very much interested in this case.

"Yesterday, a client requested for our help, saying that their mansion is cursed. Whenever a man who holds an important status in society comes into their property, he gets attacked and on some cases, goes missing for three days to be found dead. According to him, sometimes, women are also targeted. Other than that, there would be several apparitions of a Japanese woman on the hallways and dolls and mannequins moving on their own or found at the oddest places." He finished as he snapped his binder shut.

I returned inside the common room with a tray laden with their beverages which I put down on the coffee table. Everyone got their own drinks while I took my seat after handing Naru and Lin theirs.

"It's probably just some earth bound spirit; I could easily cleanse it on my own," Ayako boasted as usual.

"I assure you, Matsuzaki-san, that if it were that simple, we wouldn't be accepting this case. And as I recall, you always say that at every case we have; and yet, it continues to be non-existent," Naru said coolly.

Yasu, Bou-san and I glanced at each other before bursting into fits of giggles and snickers. Masako inconspicuously hid her laughter with the usual 'cover the mouth with the kimono sleeve' trick and a small cough. Poor Ayako merely 'humph'-ed and flushed in anger and embarrassment.

"So, when and where are we going?" I asked him. Well, I hope it wouldn't take more than a week; college is pretty hard as it is. I'd have a hard time catching up if I miss school or more than a week.

"We'll be going there this weekend. As for where, we are going to a manor near Lake Oku-tama; however, that does not change the fact that we are there **strictly** for business purposes only." He replied apathetically but his eyes clearly held a threat to anyone who dared try to slack off.

We nodded while I sighed. Typical Naru to be such a killjoy. But oh well, he does have a point.

"So, if that's all, Naru-bou, let's go have some fun! My band mates just paged me a while ago about a gig in a nearby club! Loosen up a bit!" Bou-san said. Yasu and I cheered while Masako giggled and Ayako sighed.

Naru glared at us. I pouted and gave him my bestest puppy dog pout.

A few moments of staring ensued…

…

…

…Ha. And he finally caved in! Yes!

Naru sighed in defeat with a roll of his eyes while we (meaning Yasu, Bou-san and I) pumped our fists and said a chorus of "Yes!"

The case seems like it'll be very troublesome but tonight, I'm gonna have fun!

* * *

**[o]**

**End of Chapter ^^v**


	3. Chapter 2

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**A/N: So, here's the second chapter! Please enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. It's just super impossible to own something that was there before you learned to write your name legibly.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**[o]**

"…_My beloved Sachiko," A beautiful young woman sobbed as she held the bloodied lifeless body of her 5 year old daughter. "What on earth have they done to you?" _

**[o]**

**Day 1, Saturday**

**2:35 pm**

Mai sighed as she stretched her arms and fingers after what seemed like hours of manning the base (when in reality, it had only been a little less than an hour). Naru and Lin had gone out to do some research; Bou-san and Yasu had gone to the nearest market (which was actually about an hour away) to buy their necessities enough to last a week. Apparently, the maids (the handful that stayed in the manor after all the hauntings) lived in their own homes at the neighboring village and only came here to clean and stuff. Therefore, there weren't enough supplies in the manor. John and Masako were still doing their walk-through of the entire place and Ayako was going to arrive tomorrow morning due to an emergency at the hospital.

So, that left Mai all alone to stay and 'guard' the base, watch the monitors and review the reports and information they got from the interviews two hours ago. So far, nothing major has happened, save for the few places with the temperature fluctuations. But that was already a given for a typical haunted manor.

Mai gave a withering look at the thick 350-page report of all the supernatural occurrences - note that they were already summarized and filtered so as to fit the category of 'significant reports'.

_You gotta be kidding me,_ Mai thought in annoyance and disbelief, _all these reports and no one ever thought of calling for help before?_

Sighing, she gingerly dragged the neatly stacked pile of papers in front of her, before flipping through the first few pages.

_Hmm, the files were stacked from the latest to the very first reports. Wow, seriously, no one even bothered to call for a shaman or something before? It's almost like they didn't care that so many victims have died already._

Flipping through the pages, Mai soon found herself cringing at the gruesome state the victims were found. They were always found with the word "Traitors" written in blood beside them. The bodies were often bloodied and decked with cuts and bruises; their faces never serene. It always held the expression of pain and fear, as if they were tortured cruelly before dying.

Majority of the victims were indeed men from the upper class of the social pyramid. Mai suddenly became worried of Naru. Naturally, being Oliver Davis meant that he was undoubtedly the next likely target.

_Was it really smart of Naru to accept such a dangerous case? _Mai thought worriedly. Okay, coming from her, it was something ironic since most of the time she always manages to somehow end up in dangerous situations.

_But, it's okay for me this time, right? _ She thought optimistically,_ I mean, I'm definitely not of high social standing, let alone a male. So I'll definitely be safe in this case._ Mai suddenly felt giddy with the fact that she'll be staying clear of the hospital or health clinic for this case; frankly speaking, she'd been sick of waking up in a white room. Heck, there would soon be a room in the hospital with her name plate on it, with the number of times she's been sent to the hospital.

_But enough about that; it's Naru's life at stake here. Sure, that pigheaded idiot scientist can protect himself with his PK and stuff, but still… _Mai bit her lip anxiously. They were dealing with an entity that has been killing and torturing its victims for almost a century. Just because it was Naru, doesn't mean it would already back off. No, it wasn't as easy as that. This one was much more powerful and dangerous; she knew that already… but then again, since when was it _not_ dangerous?

She took a deep breath and concentrated on brighter thoughts. Like dinner. _Maybe I could cook that delicious recipe mom taught me when I was little,_ Mai mused. Or maybe she could give them a taste of her oh-so-delicious parfait that she learned to make in the café she used to work in before she met Naru. After that, her thoughts travelled to how her old friends were doing.

…But that didn't erase the foreboding feeling that was nagging at the back of her mind.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Mai found herself reduced to perfecting origami paper cranes out of the scraps of paper she found in her bag. Mai sighed exasperatedly as she dropped her head on the desk in front of the monitors. Everything was blissfully peaceful in the mansion; yet, Mai couldn't find it in herself to even think of falling asleep. _Most probably due to the hours I had slept the entire trip,_ Mai thought dryly.

Sighing, Mai slumped on the chair, cheeks puffed and lips set in a bored pout. Eyebrows furrowed, she closed her eyes in frustration; the silence was going to drive her to insanity any second now.

.

.

.

_CLANK!_

Mai jumped at the sudden noise. Okay, that wasn't exactly what she was talking about.

_I am such a cowardly hypocrite – asking for something to happen and then freaking out when it comes._ Mai thought wryly, mentally slapping herself senseless for being such a sarcastic idiot.

She stood up slowly from her chair, looking around the empty room cautiously. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she hesitantly looked at the monitors. Nothing seems to be wrong in the kitchen; there wasn't anything in the bedrooms either. Nothing in the ballroom and not a single thing was out of place in the cellar and attic. The temperature readings remained the same and the mics didn't register any disembodied noises. Glancing at the hallways, she saw nothing either…

Great; now she was turning into some paranoid teenager. Mai scowled; she was never going to man the base in a haunted mansion alone ever again.

Wait, what was that? Peering curiously, she pressed some keys and zoomed in on a particular hallway. From the corner of her eyes, she managed to glimpse a white-ish streak that zoomed across the hallway. With a jolt of apprehension, she realized it was the hallway right around the corner from base. Temperature readings showed it was going down a notch by the second.

_That's weird_, Mai thought;_ I could've sworn that hallway was surrounded by rooms. _

Wind was definitely ruled out since there were no windows. The doors were all shut as their hallway was the only part that was inhabited on the second floor. Other than the servant's quarters (which was like a lounge for the maids more than anything else) on the ground floor, the rest of the mansion was completely empty.

So was the hallway, save for the canvas paintings on the walls and the two small wooden tables at the sides of the hallway decked with vases and crocheted draperies. Behind one of the tables, Mai saw something move again. It was too big to be a rat, and even if it was, it shouldn't have stopped running away.

Mustering up her courage, Mai turned one last time at the monitor before going out to investigate. It was just around the corner and there was nothing else to do here anyway. Gulping, she opened the door and marched out into the open.

Upon turning around the corner, Mai immediately felt the temperature difference. Sure it wasn't anywhere near the freezing point but it was probably around 12 to 10 degrees celsius in here. Mai wondered inwardly how quickly the temperature dropped from when she last checked the temperature.

_Don't worry, Mai,_ she thought nervously, _this ghost or whatever targets people with high standing. No need to worry about getting attacked or something. Besides, Bou-san and Ayako taught you the Fudou Myou-ou and the kuji. I'll be fine._ Mai thought lamely; the confidence and reassurance she was aiming to get from her own words seem to be non-existent.

Peering at the two side tables in the hallway, she squinted and walked over, curiosity taking over. She had seen something move a little behind the farthest one to the right. The hallway was completely empty, and the hallway had a dead end. Since she saw no one leave or enter any of the rooms, the noise a while ago couldn't have been caused by a maid or something. But then again, who's to know that it might've been a rodent or something and made some of the trinkets and decors fall on the carpet? Still, the noise she heard wasn't something that sounded like glass…

Mai shook all the bad thoughts away and gathered about her wits. She was just gonna check out what made the noise. That was all. Nothing to get all worked up about.

She peered at the table as she walked over to it, noting the small heap of…whatever it was, on the carpet.

'…_A…doll? What on earth is this doing in a place like this?'_

True enough, there, on the floor, lays a hand stitched rag doll; complete with a pair of black small buttons for eyes, red-orange yarn for the braided twin tails, and the thin thread sewn on the lower part of the head for the ever present innocent smile. Its dress was a simple one; a white short sleeved dress with a baby blue bow in the middle and baby blue frilly laces at the ends.

Mai blinked and mentally berated herself. She was getting paranoid over an innocent doll! Sighing, Mai looked around the area for anything else that might have caused the noise. Then, seeing a very tiny glimmer under the table, Mai cautiously reached out her hand.

Her eyes widened in shock and confusion. On her hand, was an ice pick, looking newly sharpened.

* * *

...

_What on earth are an ice pick and a rag doll doing in this place?_

Suddenly, there was a rustling from behind her. She turned quickly and narrowed her eyes, squinting past the dark shadows that the nimble lighting created.

"Who's there?" Mai cursed inwardly when her voice betrayed the growing anxiety in her. So much for aiming for brave and tough.

She stood up and walked deeper into the hallway, where she had seen something dash into a room.

"Mai!"

…And there goes her exploration period.

"Mai,"

Mai sighed in defeat and winced at the stern tone of Naru's voice. Looks like she's in for another earful of Naru's 'Responsibility and Rational Thinking' lectures.

Taking a deep breath before turning around to face the devil incarnate, she forced a smile and said,

"Oh, hey there Naru. Uh, welcome back?" Mai laughed nervously and cringed at the icy glare that met her.

* * *

…

"So, you're saying that you went out of base, _on your own_, to check out the source of some kind of noise, which _might've been a dangerous attack from the resident haunting_, after I specifically told you to _stay inside base until we get here_?" Naru ranted in a deadly low tone.

Mai flinched a little at the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Well, for one, I'm not exactly powerless on my own. You, as well as Bou-san and Ayako have taught me more than enough ways to defend myself. Second, it is already a given that this ghost or whatever it is, is only targeting those with high social standing – particularly, from the _male_ department. I think _I_ should be the one worrying about _your_ safety." Mai said hotly, irritated with the fact that she was being scolded like a kid – and she didn't even do anything wrong!

…Well, at least, in _her_ perspective…

"Mai, _you get into trouble_ even in the cases where you aren't even supposed to be part in the hit list. Your powers aren't that stable and trained yet and you are too reckless for your own good. I think those are good enough reasons for me to implement these precautionary measures." Naru said smoothly in a matter-of-factly tone.

"It's not my fault the spirits all look at me like a piece of live and fresh bait! I understand that it's dangerous but when was it ever safe? And even if you do have your almighty PK abilities, you'd get in a critical condition! Face it; _you're_ the one in danger here!" Mai looked smug as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Naru scoffed.

"You forget that I am the one with more experience. I know other ways to protect myself, Mai. And even if I am in danger, it doesn't change the fact that _you disobeyed orders_." Naru's voice became colder. "Therefore, as punishment, you will accompany Brown-san to take temperature readings and replace tapes in the whole manor."

Mai gaped in disbelief.

"In the _whole manor_? You can't do that-"

"Yes, I can."

"-And it's unfair for John to be dragged into this just because of me-"

"Well then, you have yourself to blame. And if you plan on finishing tonight, then it's best if you get started soon." Naru said with finality in his voice.

"Fine, if that's how it's gonna be then I apologize in advance for your tea-less case!" Mai huffed as she stomped off, face flushed red in anger. She grabbed the thermometer and clipboard and slung a case full of blank tapes on her shoulder before slamming the door shut, ignoring the icy glare that the narcissist threw at her direction.

"..."

The rest of the SPR members remained silent; the entire base seemed to carry a heavy and tense atmosphere at the wake of the storm. Everyone was uncomfortably quiet, waiting for a brave soul to break the cold, cold ice.

Seeing as no one else dared to do so, John chose to break the silence first as he stood up and moved to get the other set of equipment.

"…Uh, I, uh, better get going then…See you guys later," The blond haired priest stammered nervously before heading out to catch up to the brunette.

The base went back to icy stillness once more but this time, for a shorter amount of time as Ayako stood up next.

"I, uh, should get going as well. I need to prepare the protective charms," she said in a quiet but hurried tone.

The rest mumbled their own excuses before going outside, leaving Masako, Naru and Lin alone in the base.

Sighing, Masako stood up, with her blue kimono sleeve in front of her mouth and nose again.

"I'm going to go rest for now… Just wake me up for dinner. The séance would be held later on tonight, if you want."

The indigo eyed lad nodded stiffly in acknowledgement. Masako shook her head slightly at the hot headed narcissist.

"…You know," she paused to turn to look back at Naru, "… you suck when it comes to expressing your feelings," before going to her room, leaving a speechless idiot scientist and a smirking Chinese onmyouji.

The young lad turned to the older male with his icy glare.

"Not. A. Single. Word." Lin raised his hands beside his head in the universal 'I-surrender' stance, as if to placate the anger rolling off of his charge.

Naru collected his files and his black binder before going out of base as well, the door being slammed shut for the second time that day.

Lin shakes his head and chuckles quietly.

"Has a brain of a hundred year old but has the heart of a 13 year old – an idiot scientist indeed, isn't he, Gene?" he murmurs to no one in particular before turning to his laptop for more research.

One thing he was quite sure of was that, Noll was going to be in a _very_ sour mood until the young couple finally cools down enough to make up.

* * *

Mai and John walked along the hallways in silence. After a while, Mai sighed and turned to look at John.

"I'm sorry for having to drag you into this, John," she said sincerely, looking thoroughly remorseful. But then a second passed and her eyes blazed with defiance.

"It's just that, sometimes, that pigheaded narcissist can be such a jerk!"

John laughed a bit at the feisty young woman's antics before a thoughtful look adorned his face.

"Oh, but Mai-san, I think he was just worried about you; after all, you do tend to be…_impulsive_," John said carefully, as Mai shot him a look before looking down dejectedly.

"I think Kazuya-san merely wanted to keep you safe. After all, you've had more than a fair share of hospital trips. Maybe he just had a hard time expressing how he feels. You of all people should know how emotionally aloof he can be." He told Mai who looked contemplative for a moment as she took in his words.

"Well, I guess you do have a point," Mai sighed and then scrunched up her face, "But seriously, that guy needs to lower his damn pride!"

"He really was worried, when we found the base empty." John said again while Mai blushed slightly.

Mai sighed and shook her head.

"Well, we gotta get a move on if we wanna finish this," Mai said as she adjusted the equipment in her arms.

John nodded and they hurried off into a more comfortable silence.

* * *

"So, jou-chan, tell me again how you found this creepy looking doll?" Bou-san said as examined the ragdoll in his hand.

They were in base again, and thankfully, Mai and John managed to finish their task of replacing tapes before dinner. Naru and Lin were gone and left a note saying they were investigating some of the "hot spots" in the manor and will be back soon. So now that left the rest of them gathered in the base, taking turns watching the monitors.

Mai sighed before leaning further into the couch.

"I told you, I was alone in base with everything all nice and quiet. Then suddenly, I hear a noise and found the hallway around the corner slightly off temperature. So I head out to check what happened. Then I found this doll behind one of the side tables and then the ice pick was beside it." She repeated tiredly for the third time that day.

"Weird," Ayako muttered before stifling a yawn.

"I know. After that, I think I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It went deeper inside the hallway; I was about to investigate further but then Naru just _had_ to have _impeccable_ timing." She said exasperatedly as she crossed he arms across her chest with a huff, looking so much like a grumpy child after being told off.

"Well I think it was a good thing he did come then, or else you would have gone out on your own again. How many times have I told you not to go off on your own? Yet you still continue to do otherwise," Bou-san said with a light bonk on Mai's head.

Mai yelped and pouted as she touched the part where Bou-san hit her.

"Mou, not you too, Bou-san! I've told you all countless times; I can handle myself!" Mai retorted indignantly.

Everyone in the room asides Mai rolled their eyes. _Sure you do,_ was everyone's sarcastic mental remark.

"Yeah, yeah; whatever you say Mai," Bou-san said in a flat voice. "Anyways, have you had any of your case-related dreams lately?" he added, as he sat on the other sofa facing her.

"Hmm, nothing substantial to report," Mai looked thoughtful for a while as she fiddled absent mindedly with her hair. "…at least, nothing relating to the case, that is." She added before stifling a yawn.

The others – mainly Monk and Ayako – cast worried and meaningful glances at each other.

Ever since she met Naru and the rest of SPR, her psychic abilities have drastically increased in both strength and variety. From her once harmless post-cognitive dreams, then came her clairvoyance, and then after that, her astral projection. Occasionally, signs of her being a medium appeared but it came up so sporadically that it was hard to tell. Even when Naru and Lin left for England back then, random lucid dreams that were definitely not normal came to her on a nightly basis. But since the other SPR irregulars had been out of contact, she just kept it to herself and endured the countless sleepless nights. It continued on like that even when Naru came back. Until that is, a certain incident happened when they all saw her astral project and use PK-ST at the same time during a case. After the whole fiasco, Mai was faced with months of training with Lin and Naru.

Now, she still had occasional nightly marathons of terror but they didn't need to know just how bad they could get. They were already fussing whenever they see her tired so early in the morning; Mai didn't think it was necessary for them to worry about something they couldn't do anything about. They'd just be depressed and God knows that was the last thing she wanted. Besides, she was slowly beginning to get used to it. She just wished she could do something for all the pleas of help they cried.

Another yawn escaped the brunette's lips snapping everyone from their own trail of thoughts.

"Oi imouto, heads up!" Bou-san said as he gently tossed a pillow and blanket tat Mai who barely managed to catch it from shock.

An incredulous look spread on her face as her mind registered the projectiles.

"Bou-san! I can't possibly sleep now! We've got a case to solve and-"

"And nothing." The dirty blonde haired bassist cut her off sternly before continuing with a more concerned tone, "You are clearly tired already. Besides, you're not exactly useless when you're asleep; just think of this as gathering clues for the case. But personally, I prefer you'd have a dreamless sleep. You don't seem to get enough rest nowadays, jou-chan,"

Before any sound of protest could come out of Mai's lips, John had already beaten her to it.

"Really, Mai-san. It's okay for you to rest. It's no big deal, really," he told her. Mai gazed at each of their faces before sighing in defeat.

"Fine. But be sure to wake me up if something happens, okay?" She said before lying down on the sofa pushed to the far side of the room. With one last glance at the others, she sighed and finally gave in to the darkness that she had been fighting to keep at bay.

Once her breathing became slow and steady, the others sighed and turned their attention to the rag doll and the ice pick.

"Should we use it to test for poltergeist activity?" John asked.

"Well we could, but it would only be a waste of time and energy. Mere poltergeist activity caused by a person wouldn't be capable of murder. The results would only be giving us what we already know – that this is caused by something powerful that's been on the loose for centuries." Bou-san replied.

Turning to Masako, he said, "So, Masako-chan, what have you sensed so far during the whole day?"

Masako tilted her head with her kimono sleeve in front of her mouth, as per habit.

"I've been meaning to tell you that. Ever since we've entered the villa, I have only sensed very strong and depressing emotions. I can only sense one significant spirit in here, but she keeps on drifting in and out. She might have possessed some psychic ability in the past but the only thing she lets out are distress signals – all she wants is for this to end. Her aura is mainly that of guilt and depression." The young medium held a troubled look for a moment before continuing.

"But the one that permeates throughout the whole place the strongest is one of vengeance and bloodlust. There isn't a particular entity that seems to be causing it; it's like gas that's been released. However, the place where it's thickest is not within the manor itself – it's somewhere out there in the grounds. Maybe underground, even." She answered in a hoarse voice with brows knit in confusion and concentration.

"So basically, what you're saying is that we have a resident ghost that wants the bad things to stop. The one that's causing this was never human then." Yasuhara stated. Masako shook her head in confirmation.

"So it's either we're dealing with a century year old curse out for blood, or an entity so powerful it can conceal its presence and diffuse itself all over the place." Monk summed up.

"Or it could be both – a blood thirsty curse taking the form of an entity that has spread it's aura throughout the whole villa and surrounding grounds," John added.

They all sighed in chorus at the complexity of it all.

Then Ayako remembered something. "Wait a minute. You said you sensed one _significant_ spirit. You can't possibly mean there are more?" She asked in disbelief.

Masako nodded glumly. "Although I doubt they'd pose a serious threat right now, there are also the souls of the victims floating about. It seems they were murdered in such a gruesome and painful way that they can't move on. An exorcism would do the trick, but they are scattered around so much we would lose the energy to even attempt to stop the curse. But if the curse is lifted, most would probably move on of their own accord."

They had spoken too soon, it seemed. Not only was the case going to be difficult, it was going to be tedious and draining as well.

What a drag.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so not much happened in this chapter either, but I suppose it is long enough to compensate for the super delayed update. I know, I made you wait too long and I'm terribly sorry. But I do appreciate the reviews and support you all give me! Hopefully, the next chapter could be updated before classes start in my school (which is around June) So for now, I am asking for your ideas on what you want to happen next. Something dangerous? Something regarding NaruXMai romance? A little of both? Tell me what you want. That's all for now, I guess.**

**Please read and review! ^^**

**Yours truly,**

**aniAngelxx**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**Disclaimer: I do not, did not, will not own Ghost Hunt.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_I was all alone in the base when I opened my eyes. Everything was still and silent, and by the subtle blue glow that lit the room, I knew for a fact that I was in one of _those_ dreams. But whether or not it was related to the case, I was yet to find out._

_The meager light that filtered through the windows suddenly blazed a bloody red hue, and muffled voices and cold laughter floated past the door. It was all I could do to keep my head and my wits about me. Too many times had I opened doors to bloody corpses, scorching fires, and piercing screams. But on the chance that this would reveal some clues about the case…_

_I heaved a breath in an effort to steel myself for the horrors that I could be facing. With a firm grasp on the cold brass knob, I opened the door and got swallowed by pitch black._

**-)x(-**

**Day 1**

**10:03 pm**

For the third time that same hour, Naru caught himself stealing yet another restless glance at the unconscious brunette on the sofa. It had been just over an hour ago that he and Lin returned from gathering pile after pile of worth of history and family background of the haunted manor, and apparently, two hours since Mai had been sleeping. Or rather, information gathering. Based on calculation and past experiences, his assistant would've just begun roaming the astral plane by now.

With a heavy sigh, Naru snapped his binder shut and haphazardly ran a hand through his hair. At the rate he was going, he might as well put it off for tomorrow morning. Unconsciously, his gaze flickered once more on his slumbering girlfriend. Unbidden, a small smile curled up his lips. There was that unnatural sensation in the pit of his stomach, a feeling that he had somehow gotten accustomed to, as was expected when it occurred every time his thoughts wandered on tea, his assistant, warm brown pools, his sleeping assistant, rare peaceful afternoons, his feisty, emotional, compassionate brunette…

Naru quickly shook his head, as though to dispel such thoughts. His gaze, however, seemed to naturally gravitate back to where a clump of wavy brown locks splayed across one side of the velvet furniture.

Lin couldn't quite contain any more of his amusement. Chuckles continued to bubble from his throat even when his charge shot him a withering glare.

"Wonder what Gene would say if he sees you act so worried," Lin mused quietly, a small smile on his lips.

Naru glowered at him and growled, "I am _not _worried," with his teeth clenched, deliberately stressing each word. Lin rolled his eyes and sighed, turning his focus back to the monitors. Naru stared at him for a moment longer before smirking.

"Not as bad as you when Madoka had her first case when we were 14," A victorious smirk reigned in his features when Lin froze and glowered at him back. _Revenge is sweet indeed_, Naru muses absently.

Truly, it _had_ been a sight to see – Lin picking and scolding every miniscule mistake Madoka had made during his first case with the red headed woman. Of course, her own temper had flared halfway through the case, which led to her getting attacked. Needless to say, things had gotten pretty much uphill from there onwards. They made up, and recently got together, sometime during their brief return to England. Ironically, it happened during a similar case, and even similar situations. Even Lin had his moments of comical anxiety when Madoka is put to harm.

Lin barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes once more, settling instead for an unimpressed look at the young CEO. "I would never have pegged you to act so immature as to engage in _this_ kind of argument, Oliver." He raised his brows at him for a moment, before turning back to his laptop once more. "Look, you can deny it as much as you want, but I'm telling you now, you look stupid since it's so blatantly obvious you care about her. Go ahead and tend to her; I'll take over the monitors and notify you when something happens."

Naru bit his tongue and swallowed down the retort at the tip of his tongue. He sighed in resignation before setting down his binder and striding over to Mai. Without another word, he carried her in his arms and left for her room. He didn't turn back once to glance at Lin, knowing he might just go off when he sees that knowing smirk plastered on the Chinese man's face. And he just _knew_ that the smirk would be there without a doubt.

-**)x(-**

_Mai swallowed with difficulty, feeling her throat tighten. A wooden door closed in front of her, but the horrid screams remained ringing in her ears. She closed her burning eyes, focusing on her breathing. She couldn't be of help anymore. It was merely a memory. Nothing more than a horrifying memory._

_She let herself drift through the ether once more, carefully sifting through the weaker pulses. She didn't have much time; she needed to focus on their case before she reaches her limit._

_When she opened her eyes once more, the cold sinking feeling of dread seeped right to her bones. Around her were steep mountains and cliff faces, with beautiful flowers blooming vividly along the edges. But even the majestic view of the manor in its prime was drowned out by the misery that filled the air. A black film seemed to have covered over everything in sight._

_And then she heard it. A soft sobbing and wailing at first, getting louder and louder. The grieving voice came from all around her, echoing and bouncing off of invisible walls, drumming through her ears like a never ending chorus._

"_Sachiko…!" Her voice was soft and soothing, but her gut wrenching sobs struck her heart. "Don't go, please, Sachiko! Don't leave me! Okaa-san is here, don't worry."_

_The tears spilled scorching hot on her cheeks. For a moment, she was grateful she couldn't see anything. The mere sounds alone tore her apart._

"_Okaa-san is here, Sachiko. You're safe now. They won't be able to hurt you anymore…"_

_Mai finally drew her gaze upon a young woman, her beauty very much radiant despite her despair. Her formal kimono was bloodied and dirtied, and it was only then that Mai finally saw the bloodied child cradled in her arms. The child was young and beautiful, just like her mother. But the pitiful state of her body was dreadful, and it was very much evident that she would not make it._

"_Okaa-san…please…don't cry," The child stutters weakly, her voice hoarse and muffled. Her small hands reached up to brush her mother's cheeks, and with a weak smile, closed her eyes. The mother sobbed only harder, wailing at the top of her lungs._

_Mai couldn't keep watching anymore. The sobs stuck in her throat and the tears flowed faster down her cheeks. Such a young child… a life barely started. Gone, just like that. She didn't realize when the vision disappeared, but when she finally managed to stem her tears, she was back in the astral plane once more._

_She wasn't alone though. "I couldn't forgive them. Not for what they did to Sachiko." A voice dry and hoarse, sounded from behind her, and Mai saw the lady from before – this time, her eyes were milky, and her kimono was singed and torn in numerous places. Her misty gaze met Mai's when she gave a sad smile, "They went too far… My Sachiko was all I had, and they took her away from me… She didn't deserve it. It was all my fault," Her voice broke, but when Mai tried to reach out for her, she faded away, as did her surroundings._

"_Are you the one causing those deaths?" She asked desperately._

_The reply was so soft, she barely caught it as she made her way back to the real world._

"_Please… Help me stop it… I don't want this anymore."_

**-)x(-**

"-ai,"

As Mai slowly regained consciousness, she became aware of the soft surface she was on, very different from the stiff sofa in the base where she had fallen asleep. The blanket was warmer, and heavier on her, and she felt – what she assumed as – the bed dip somewhere to her left.

"Mai…"

The voice was louder now, and she subconsciously felt herself relax at the sound.

"Mai, wake up,"

Almost immediately, she obeyed, forcing her crusty lids to open. The first thing she saw was indigo – Naru's eyes, as deep as the ocean, tinted with worry and tenderness. She felt his fingers lightly wipe her cheeks, then tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

Her smile was like an automatic response as she spoke, "Naru." Slowly, she pushed herself to sit up and wiped away the stray tears. Stifling a yawn, she asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

Naru continued to gaze at her with an unreadable expression for a moment longer before sighing. "Six hours. It's three in the morning, Mai." He shifted, his back facing her as he ran a hand through his hair.

Mai chewed her lower lip anxiously. The room was silent, and neither of them wanted to be the first to break it. But it was only a matter of time really, before Mai reached her limit.

It was with a nervous gulp that she opened her mouth. "Naru, I-"

"I'm sorry."

Mai met Naru's gaze with shock, mouth agape. And then promptly cried out in frustration.

"Naru, you insufferable jerk! There you go again stealing words from my mouth!" She stumbled on her words, cheeks flushed cherry. "I-I know what I did this afternoon was wrong, and that I was being stupid and childish-"

"And irresponsible and reckless,"

Mai glared at Naru, who merely raised his brows in a challenging look. Biting back a retort, she looked away sharply, a pout on her lips. "…And that I made you worried. I know it'll be useless to promise you I won't do it again, since I'll just break it again on another case… But I'll try my best not to go on my own. I know you're just worried about me, but I want you to trust me, Naru," She said, looking determinedly in his eyes.

"I want you to trust me enough to protect myself." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I might not be as strong as you or Bou-san or Ayako or Lin when it comes to using psychic powers for offense or defense, but I know I can fend for myself, if you just give me a chance I-"

Warm arms wrapped around her, interrupting her once again. Naru tucked Mai's head under his chin, a small smile playing on his lips. Mai was wide-eyed with surprise, since she was usually the one who initiated nearly all physical contact with Naru. This was something that happened once in a blue moon.

Another moment of silence passed between them, but they didn't mind it this time, relishing instead in the warmth of each other's presence. Mai pushed herself away to look up at him, a playful smile ruining her supposed furious glare.

"Really Naru, you have _got_ to stop interrupting me! You know, I'm starting to think you get a kick out of riling me up on purpose," Naru smirked at her in reply. She rolled her eyes at him, before stifling a yawn.

"Go back to sleep, Mai. It's still early," Naru said, pecking her on the forehead as she started to lie down. With a sleepy grin, she caught him by the sleeves. "You need sleep more than I do, Naru," She said with another yawn.

He smirked down at her, "Mai, there are better ways to get me to sleep with you." Mai flushed a deep red. "That's not what I meant, you stupid narcissist! Get your head out of the gutter, you pervert!" She yelled, burying her face underneath the covers.

Naru let out a flash of a grin, before removing his shoes and lying down on top of the covers. Mai smiled secretly when she felt his arm around her waist. She waited a couple of minutes more until she heard his faint snores, before snuggling deeper into his embrace and giving in to a dreamless sleep.

**-)x(-**

**Day 2**

**7:00 am**

"-ai-chan,"

She awoke once more to her name being called.

"Mai-chan,"

This voice was very much different though. And she didn't quite like the jesting drawl that sounded _awfully_ a lot like Yasuhara when he was up to no good at all.

"Mou, Mai-chan, a case is no place to be doing _those _kind of things with boss-sama, you know,"

Yep, that was definitely Yasuhara's bad-scheming voice. _'Best ignore it, then,'_ she thought to herself, snuggling deeper into the sheets, loving the way the arm around her tightened protectively.

"Mai-chan, you pervert," Yasuhara's voice drawled on. This time, Mai was past her limit. With an irritated sigh, she yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes. "What do you want, Yasu? It's too early for your scheming," She grumbled.

"Besides, why the heck am _I_ the pervert now?"

It was only then that she finally opened her eyes clearly. Only then did it finally sink in that Yasuhara was wearing his infamous Cheshire cat grin, eyes directed somewhere other than her face. She was sitting up now, growing apprehensive at the way he clicked his tongue mischievously, as though he'd caught her in the act of a crime. She felt something nudge her back, and her waist felt uncomfortably tight…

She nearly jumped out of the bed at the sight of Naru cuddled up close to her, face trying to bury itself in her side. She squeaked when he shifted once more, her face burning a deep shade of red for the third time in the morning. Twice for the same reason.

The bespectacled boy chuckled at his flustered co-worker, a devilish grin lighting up his face. "Mai-chan, you naughty girl; luring your beloved to bed with you," He sang.

"Shut up, Yasu!" Mai hissed under her breath. There was a muffled groan, and Mai stiffened. Light reflected on Yasu's glasses and obscured his vision. Naru's eyes fluttered open, and Mai waited with bated breath.

.

.

.

"Mai, stop staring like an idiot. You should know by now that it's considered rude to stare openly at people," Naru spoke, his voice deep and husky with sleep, but already held that same undertone of arrogance and lordliness. He got up from the bed and straightened his rumpled clothes, before smirking at a flustered, sputtering Mai.

"Get dressed. I want tea within 15 minutes."

Mai turned a vicious glare at another smirking individual. "Not a word, Yasu." The college student raised his hands in surrender, but did not bother to hide his blatant amusement. She growled violent oaths under her breath, stomping as she started to freshen up.

_Jerks._

**-)x(-**

**Day 2**

**8:00 am**

"…So you're saying, our ghost might be the mother?" Bou-san asked as he stuffed an omelet in his mouth. Ayako wrinkled her nose in distaste as a chunk of bolus flew out of his mouth. The incoming smack was already a reflex.

"Ow! What the hell's wrong with you, you violent, old woman?" Bou-san yelped indignantly, massaging the sore spot on his arm.

"How dare you call me old!"

Mai winced as another loud smack echoed in the room, followed by another round of yelling and shouting; she pursed her lips and promptly stuck her fingers to her ears. Naru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why did he punish himself with their immature tendencies again?

They were having breakfast as usual in the room next to their base. The dining hall downstairs was definitely too massive for their small group. That, and the fact that the room hadn't been in use for the past half a decade. It turned out that the owner of the 'house' only stopped by during the summer holidays and used it a rest house before he hit it big time in the business industry and became head honcho. His next visit had been his last.

Before the bantering couple could do any more damage, Naru finally put a stop to it with the mere deliberate clearing of the throat. "That may not necessarily be the case."

Bou-san was quickly defensive. "But she said it herself: 'I don't want this anymore,'. She could be the only possible reason for this haunting!"

"That's the point," Naru spoke deliberately and slowly, as though conversing with a toddler. "She may have been the fore bringer of the paranormal occurrences in this manor, but she may not be necessarily the _direct_ _cause_,"

"Then Shibuya-san," John spoke, "do you mean to say that this may very well be a curse brought from revenge?" Naru nodded.

"But what does her grudge have to do with the victims?" Mai asked, "I mean, if she wanted vengeance for the death of her daughter, then wouldn't she just put a curse on the perpetrators instead…that is, whoever 'they' pertained to?"

Naru considered this. "True, but then again, 'they' might've been all under the command of one – particularly, male with a high social status. Perhaps the governor or mayor during that time," Mai nodded thoughtfully.

It was silent once more, before Naru collected his files and stood up. "Still, this is all just speculation as of the moment. We'll need to gather more background on this place – Yasuhara, Lin." Naru sent meaningful glances to both men, who both nodded.

He then turned to the others. "Meanwhile, Matsuzaki-san, Hara-san, Brown-san, Takigawa-san; kindly scour the main places of activities. Exorcise when you can." The four nodded seriously, before Naru pointed a look at Mai.

"You stay in base and monitor the equipment and exorcisms. Everyone will report to you when they're through. If you sense anything strange, notify me immediately." Mai nodded with a sarcastic 'Aye, aye, captain!'

"And Mai," the brunette flinched at the stern glare he sent her. "_Don't ever wander off on your own._"

She acquiesced with a defeated pout as the others snickered. The others left the room, Bou-san ruffling her hair as he passed. With a resigned sigh, she began to collect the dishes, to which, a maid helped her with.

As they both left the room, arms laden with dirty plates and glasses, Mai couldn't help but feel slightly jumpy. If the hairs standing at attention on the back of her neck were any indication (not to mention her so-called animal instincts that were sending distress signals to her brain), then the spirit or whatever it was inside the manor was watching her very closely.

She laughed nervously when the maid questioned her quick strides. Not wanting to scare her, she just shrugged and mumbled something about 'strict bosses and creepy houses'. In the dimly lit hallway behind her, two small shadows dashed into a room, glowing red strands tied to their limbs.

**-)x(-**

* * *

**A/N: okay, yeah. I know this is VERY long overdue. I'm sorry. I won't even bother explaining my procrastinating ways. And I know this isn't as long as you deserve it to be, but I fear that if I make it any longer, it might take me half a year to finish it. So yeah. Please still leave a review. I'll have you know they inspire me to continue writing. **

**-aniAngelxx**


	5. Chapter 4

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. All rights to Higuchi Tachibana-sama.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Barely fifteen minutes had passed since they had set about their tasks when a resounding crash rattled half the building. A second later, it was followed by a blood curdling scream.

Everyone rushed towards the source of the commotion, dread weighing down their guts as they realized the direction they were headed for. After another round of crashes echoed through the kitchen doors, Naru was ten steps ahead of them with Takigawa and Lin hot on his heels.

* * *

Mai yelped in pain as her back hit the wall. The cupboards overhead clattered open, and she'd barely shielded her face in time as the piles of china toppled over her. Mai was sure she'd have a new collection of bruises, and whimpered when a couple of floral glass bowls clipped her on the shoulder.

A tiny part of her – the pessimistic and slightly masochistic side that she'd slowly developed after some consecutive dangerous encounters – mentally noted that this would be the fifth time she'd been slammed to the wall, and the twelfth time she received bruises from a paranormal attack. A wry thought actually commended the fact that it was the first time she'd managed to get one _after_ she uttered her mantras.

Blinking past tears, she scanned the room for the spirit, but all she saw was the maid huddled a few steps away from the door, sobbing and screaming in horror. Ignoring the numerous aches and stings from her limbs, Mai rushed over to the terrified employee, her eyes and inner senses scouring for an evil presence, or even a malicious intent. But it was as though the whole place was emanating all the negative energy, that she couldn't pinpoint any particular source. There were only the banging on the walls and ceiling, and a strange sharp sound.

Then she heard the loud clattering footsteps, and everything just stopped – everything that had been afloat was now on the ground, broken or shattered.

With imminent danger now gone, all the adrenaline flushed out from her system, and Mai was left feeling sore and weak.

"Mai!"

The kitchen doors burst open just as she wobbled, and before she could even feel herself falling, arms were already wrapped around her and carrying her out of the room. She opened her mouth to protest, but her vision swam in a mix of colors, and closing her eyes, she concentrated instead on the strong scent of earl grey tea and aftershave that could only be Naru's.

The voices that floated to her ears were muffled and nearly inaudible, as though thick cotton balls were stuffed to her eardrums. Faintly, she could feel the gentle, soothing touches tending her injuries; but she felt so detached from her body, as though she was stuck in between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Mai, are you alright?" It was Ayako who spoke, her tone soft and gentle – the kind of tone that doctors and nurses would use to sooth crying children. Mai blinked slowly, before her eyes finally came into focus into the worry lines of the older red head.

The priestess's gaze flickered up to her from time to time, as she neatly bandaged Mai's left hand. The brunette stared owlishly at her arms, only then noticing the series of abrasions that littered them, and then at her legs – particularly her right knee – which had slightly large scrapes on them.

Mai inwardly winced; no wonder she'd felt so sore all over… Although it did sort of mystify her as to how exactly she managed to garner _all_ these.

Ayako called her again, and she cleared her throat as she said, "…Okay, I guess. I'm just kind of shocked at how much damage I actually took." Mai smiled sheepishly, swallowing to sooth her coarse throat.

"I'm fine, really. Just sore and all, but it's not like I'll faint or anything like that. I'll be fine," she added, this time to address the other worried looks of her friends – especially Takigawa and Naru.

Naru, who had perched himself by the desk beside Ayako, leaned back and crossed his arms. "What exactly happened back there?"

Mai bit her lip as she recalled how her instincts had gone all haywire, just barely in time to dodge an oncoming side table. "Well, shortly after Miyako-san and I left with the dishes, I distinctly felt as though something, or someone was watching me. My nerves were on edge, but it wasn't until we reached the kitchen that I actually felt _something_ evil or malicious."

She licked her dry lips before continuing, "The moment we opened the kitchen doors, everything became chaotic – all the china and cutlery flew everywhere, and then the walls were rattling badly. I tried to fend them off with the Fudou Myou-ou and the kuji, but as soon as I finished, something threw me against the wall… and then…" Mai paused, her brows knit in discombobulation.

"What is it?" Naru prodded. Mai smacked her lips, before saying, "Well, there was this noise…I don't know what exactly it was that caused it, and when I asked Miyako-san if she heard anything, she said she didn't." Then she gave a nervous laugh, "Then again, maybe it had been just my imagination…"

"What did it sound like?"

Mai snapped her eyes up at Naru. "Huh?"

"The noise, Mai," He drawled with a hint of impatience as he picked up his copy of the case details. "What did the noise you hear sound like?"

Mai grumbled at his tone for a moment before sighing. "Strings,"

"Mai, it would be greatly appreciated by all of us if you could stop giving us vague answers," Naru said, now fully annoyed.

"Stupid jerk," Mai huffed grumpily, then, waved her bandaged hands vaguely in front of her. "_Strings_, Naru. You know, that sound when you pull threads or strings tightly, or slide them between your fingers,"

Monk paused, before a mischievous thought struck him. Making sure Ayako wasn't looking, he swiftly snatched a single strand of hair from her red mane. Before the Shinto priestess could collect herself, Monk grinned at the group. "Like this?" He slid his fingers towards the opposite ends of the strand, eliciting a tiny sharp sound.

Ayako, who had by this time recovered, was turning an admirable shade of red deeper than her hair. A roar of furious vengeance passed her lips then, and the loud 'thunk' that followed was received by the onlookers with much exasperation.

Monk grumbled as he squatted on the ground beside Mai. "I did her a favor, anyway. If I pulled a red one, maybe her red hair would outnumber her gray ones."

"What did you say?" Ayako growled, massaging her knuckles in warning.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Monk quickly whimpered, and Mai couldn't help but giggle when Ayako hit his shoulder anyway.

Then, Mai turned her eyes to Naru, who had that unreadable, faraway look in his eyes again, with his chin cupped in his right hand. The brunette bit her lip, inwardly dying to know what could be going on in his mind. He was always like that, she thought; always so detached, so callous, so unreachable. Mai couldn't help but doubt if he really felt the same way she does. _I mean, maybe, he _does_ like me to an extent, but…is there a chance that he's only doing this out of pity?_

But as soon as the thought came, she shook it away. She knew Naru abhorred acting out of shallow feelings like pity or crushes. He would never tolerate dating somebody out of pity. Besides, this wasn't exactly the time to worry about relationships and feelings. They were on a case, for god sakes!

Mentally berating herself, she turned to Ayako. "By the way, Ayako, what happened to Miyako-san? Is she alright?"

Right then, John and Masako – both of whom she hadn't even noticed were gone – came in and were the ones to answer her inquiry. "We just took Miyako-san to the village doctor. She had a minor fracture in her right arm, and she had gotten a few cuts on her hands, but aside from that, she's fine, Mai-san. Probably just freaked out, but the doctor said she'll be fine," John replied reassuringly.

Mai let out a soft sigh of relief. At least that was one less burden to worry about.

**-)x(-**

For the rest of the day, Mai was 'imprisoned' in base, while the others went about their pre-assigned tasks before the whole kitchen fiasco. This time, nearly everyone had threatened her to submission, which naturally made Mai one heck of a happy camper. Not.

Five cups of oolong tea, four hours of groaning in frustration, three attempts of revenge, two papers of scribbles and one visit to the bathroom later, and Mai was on the verge of pulling a classic hissy fit.

That was until she felt the beckons of a spirit inviting her over in _that_ plane. She paused for a moment of hesitation while eying the black walkie talkie beside the monitors. Then slowly, a Cheshire smile – mischievous and smug – spread on her lips as an idea formed her mind.

She turned down the volume of the communication device to its minimum, and with a last glance at the monitors for any sign of activity, made her way to one of the chaise lounges and closed her eyes.

Three seconds later, she opened her eyes to find herself standing by the lake.

**-)x(-**

**Day 2**

**1:30 pm**

Yasuhara, Naru and Lin walked into the small town a couple of miles away from the manor. It was quaint, the more advanced technological developments of the city having not reached into the area. The center of the town was more obvious, as more shops and local buildings came into view.

Aside from the all important convenience stores and thrift shops, there were a considerably large number of doll shops and puppet stores. "For quite a small town, they sure like to make a profit out of dolls and puppets, ne, Naru-bou?" Yasuhara commented as they passed by the third doll and puppet store of the street.

"The whole district specializes in doll making as well as puppet making. Apparently, this town had been one of the more prominent ones before the haunting started killing off their officials – including the head of the town's main company." Naru explained in his usual passive attitude.

The library finally came into view, but by the mere sight of it, the trio knew they wouldn't find much information. The building – which looked to be the size of the library in the mansion itself – looked, and was probably, run down and unattended. The walls had cracks where vines and weeds did not cover up, and the molds and spider webs below the extended roof were as clear as day.

Yasuhara sent a questioning glance at the young CEO beside him, whose face remained unfazed. With a shrug, Yasuhara followed behind Naru. "Oh well, maybe we can find something interesting about the big scary house."

Upon opening the door of the dilapidated building, the trio were mildly surprised and, well, relieved. Although the outside practically screamed of abandonment and neglect, the interior proved otherwise – sure the soft cream paint was cracked and chipped off at certain places, but that much was expected. But the velvet loveseats and chaise lounges here and there were clean and mold-free, just as the books – at least, the periodicals closest to the entrance – were in pristine condition. A couple of old computers were put to one corner, next to the OPAC machine and the card catalog draws.

In front of the entrance was the control desk, where an old lady and a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties sat. Behind them were several wooden chairs and tables with built in desk lamps.

Of course, Naru wasn't fazed, or at least, he didn't seem to be fazed. A quick glance at the other man beside him told Yasu that neither was Lin. With a mental, complacent shrug, Yasuhara decided that he wasn't fazed either.

He stood back as Naru asked the librarian about old records of the place – "as background research for a (non-existent) thesis". As he turned in the direction the old lady pointed to, Naru gave him a quick look, and subtly nodded towards the control desk.

_Ah, that's my cue_. Yasuhara pushed up his glasses, making the light glisten and obscure his dark eyes from view. A wide mischievous and conniving grin spread across his face, not unlike the Cheshire cat's infamous smiles. It was time to put his charms up and put his information gathering skills to the test. He then proceeded to turn a charming smile at the younger woman – probably the assistant librarian – who blushed almost immediately.

Yasuhara chuckled inwardly at this. Wheedling information out of people – most especially pretty young maidens – _was_ his specialty.

**-)x(-**

**Mai's Dream**

_Mai blinked as her surroundings slowly came into focus. She was standing at the top of a hill, in the middle of a road overlooking the lake and a small village. Then there came the sound of clopping, getting louder and louder. Turning around, Mai found a rather large entourage of horsed Japanese police officials surrounding a couple of ornate wooden carriages._

'_Must be high ranking person, then,' Mai mused thoughtfully as the group passed, not too surprised when several of them went through her. _

_As Mai started to follow after the two buff officials bringing up the rear, the scenery around her changed and blurred into a mix of green and brown and black, and when the world finally came into focus once more, Mai found herself in the town's main road, where the townsfolk gossiped about the group of travelers ahead._

"…_I heard the young master had been studying abroad for the past five years," One middle-aged woman said to her companion._

"_Oh yes! I also heard the young master has quite a number of past lovers. He's quite the handsome young lad, many people say, and having the overlord for a father, he certainly is very sought after," Her companion replied excitedly. Mai turned back to watch the retreating entourage as it entered a huge castle – the manor in its prime years._

_Then out of the corner of her eye, Mai glimpsed a beautiful woman in a simple pale pink kimono walk in the direction of the lake._

**-)x(-**

**Day 2**

**1:46 pm**

Ayako sighed as they exited the nth room of the day.

"Honestly, this is too much of a drag," She said with an irritated click of the tongue. Beside her, Masako discreetly rolled her eyes. _She _was more annoyed by Ayako's incessant whining than the unresponsive spirits of the manor.

As Ayako continued to rant unnecessarily, Masako heard an urgent call from one of the spirits. It was weak, only able to appear as a sphere visible to mediums like her. She paused in her steps as she listened intently to its raspy message, and dashed after it when it filtered through an adjacent room.

Ayako was at her heels, slightly sensing the presence of a spirit. They stopped in front of a door with curling wisps of ivy made of wrought iron at the edges. Pausing for a short intake of breath, they shared a look before opening the door (with slight difficulty).

Numerous paintings and mannequins and dolls met their sight upon entrance. To one side, there were rows upon rows of old dolls lined up neatly. Opposite them stood the mannequins with the strings hung up on wooden horizontal beams at the ceiling. And on the walls, were paintings of all sizes – portraits of men and women garbed with extravagant kimonos, and prints and sketches of Japan's landscapes.

The orb Masako had followed floated along one side and, as Masako approached it, disappeared into the walls. But not without leaving an ominous warning. Ayako turned away from the dolls when Masako gasped. As soon as she laid eyes on the portrait Masako stood in front of, Ayako barely stopped herself from cursing out loud.

The woman in the portrait was beautiful in a mature and dignified way; her kimono was embroidered with spider lilies in threads of gold and red, and her rich brown hair was tied in a complicated braid, held together by an ivory hairpiece. Her nose was small and her lips were a bit on the thin side; her smile was reflected in her big, wide black eyes.

It was like staring at a matured version of Mai. Save of course, the slightly more pronounced cheek bones, and the eye color. But the way her smile was reflected clearly in her eyes resembled Mai's so closely, it barely made a difference. One look and Ayako knew this case just got more dangerous and complicated for them all. Naru needed to be informed immediately.

"Masako—" Ayako stopped short as she saw Masako pale at a fast rate, both kimono sleeves raised to her mouth.

"_Your friend is in danger; she's the next one."_

**-)x(-**

The door to base creaked open ominously. The thermometers on standby simultaneously beeped as the room temperature drastically lowered.

There, on the couch, Mai remained blissfully unaware as the ragdoll slowly levitated into the air along with the ice pick. A dark misty shadow filtered into the room, and wherever it touched, tangled strings of glowing crimson suddenly became visible. It drifted to surround the ragdoll and the ice pick, forming long finger-like wisps around them. With alarming speed, the red strings looped around each finger, which wriggled in swift but firm motions.

The ice pick flew straight into the ragdoll's hand, and in the eerie spirit's shadow, loomed over the couch with a sinister glow.

**-)x(-**

**End of chapter.**

**-)x(-**

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I know. Not too much, but I really felt the need to update. And so there you go with the much delayed chapter of WCD. Yes, another cliff hanger. I won't make any promises, 'cause God knows how much I suck at sticking with deadlines. But I really felt the guilt when barely anybody reviewed in the last chapter, and I wanted more to keep me going… so here. PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW~!**


	6. Chapter 5

**The Witch's Cursed Doll**

**By aniAngelxx**

**Disclaimer: I said it before, and I'll say it again. I do not own Ghost Hunt. All rights to Ono Fuyumi-sensei**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Day 2**

**1:48 pm**

Lin looked up when Naru suddenly stood from his seat. The young CEO had paled, his face had gone tight with worry and his whole body had gone tense. Recalling that it was Matsuzaki-san on the other end of the line, it was not hard to guess that something bad had happened.

As soon as Naru hung up the phone, he was quickly making his way to the entrance. Lin and Yasuhara shared a wary look before trailing after him, leaving two very bewildered librarians.

"_Naru, there's an emergency situation here. I don't care where you are; you have to get here now!" Ayako's voice commanded as soon as he answered the phone._

"_What's wrong?" Naru demanded. On ordinary circumstances, he would have snapped a witty remark at her, but the foreboding feeling in his gut told him otherwise. The urgent, no-nonsense tone the woman used further escalated his anxiety._

_Naru was not gifted with ESP abilities, but at that moment, there was a hollow feeling in his gut, and only one thing – or rather, one person – was running through his mind. Even without the Shinto priestess's reply, he just _knew_ what was wrong._

He was practically running now, right in the middle of the road, and while he was well aware of the curious glances that he attracted, he couldn't bring himself to care. As soon as they got inside the van, he snapped at Lin to hurry back to the manor. The Chinese onmyouji didn't even asked, only stepping on the accelerator and speeding towards the manor as fast as the speed limit allowed.

"_Mai is in trouble, but we can't open the doors to the base. I'm waiting for Takigawa and John to meet up with us," was the response that came. Knowing ahead did not help at all; Naru still felt his blood run cold and his heart give a nervous stutter. No. Knowing did not make it any less serious or any less better._

**-)x(-**

While Ayako phoned Naru, Masako had taken the walkie-talkie and contacted the men. Upon reaching the door to base, the immense evil intent hit them hard. When they could not open the door, the panic began to settle in. Mai was not responding to their calls or knocks, and both were fearful of what has happened to their friend.

The half a minute it took for Takigawa and John to arrive seemed to take ages. Both men began to bang their shoulders against the door, all while yelling for Mai to open the door herself. But still no response. After a third failed attempt, Takigawa started chanting his mantras, but Masako stopped him.

"Stop! We don't know what could happen to Mai if we anger the spirit." Masako said, worried eyes looking at the door in front of them. Takigawa gritted his teeth in frustration, and resumed his pounding on the door.

**-)x(-**

_Mai turned around, and found herself at the edge of the forest, near the lake. In front of her was the beautiful woman in the pale pink kimono, together with a man dressed in fine silk._

"_Time has done you well, Noriko," The man said, his eyes bright with adoration as he drank in the pristine features of the woman in front of him._

_Noriko shook her head, "Not as it did _you_, Hitoshi-sama," She replied in a soft but earnest voice, and then turned her head to face the lake, in a way that reminded Mai so strongly of Masako…when the medium wasn't being her haughty self._

"_I…I'd thought that Hitoshi-sama would've forgotten me after 6 long years…"_

_With her face wistfully downcast, Noriko hadn't seen Hitoshi move, and looked up with shock when Hitoshi had suddenly pulled her into his arms. As soon as she did, Hitoshi proceeded to kiss her earnestly. Mai only flushed further when Noriko returned the kiss with as much fervor, and automatically turned her eyes away from the intimate scene._

_It was then that she noticed a more…deathly version of Noriko, standing a few meters away from where Mai stood. Her hollowed out eye sockets gazed at her with such unnerving intensity, but the way her face was contorted with grief and sorrow told Mai that she was just as weary and cautious as her._

_In that moment, the scenery melted away, and like a drop of water on a smooth pond, the dreamscape rippled into a dark obsidian. But Mai was still there, and so was Noriko._

"_I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"_

"_I can help you – and we _will_ help you!" Mai cried, the overwhelming sorrow in Noriko's raspy words making her chest throb. "But you have to help us too; tell me what happened! Please, Noriko? What happened? Who was he?"_

_The throbbing sensation in her chest increased, and everything started to blur. Mai grew even more anxious, and it made her heart palpitate painfully. The black oblivion swallowed up Noriko, and even Mai couldn't see her own hands anymore. Just before she woke up, she heard Noriko rasp._

"_He said he loved me…and when we were alone together, I was his Noriko, and he was my Kazumoto."_

**-)x(-**

**Day 2**

**1:49 pm**

"MAI!"

The said brunette opened her eyes with a gasp, a layer of cold sweat coating her pale skin. Disoriented from suddenly being thrown back into her body, it took her a while to fully process the ominous presence in the room.

"Mai, open the door!" Bou-san's frantic yells, coupled with the incredibly loud banging finally snapped Mai back into reality. She heard it before she saw it – a sharp _ting_, and then a glint of metal. It was by pure instincts that she scrambled off of the couch, sprawling clumsily on the carpeted floor on her hind end with a squeak.

There on the couch, right where her chest had been seconds ago, an ice pick had embedded itself halfway through into thick leather. Mai inhaled sharply; any second later, and her blood would have been all over the place – she had just brushed death by mere seconds. A cold chill ran down her spine.

There was that weird sound again – that sharp tugging and pulling of strings. Her senses working on overdrive, she turned to the far corner of the room, where the black ominous cloud had amassed, towering over her. There in the middle, hanging limply in front of the cloud was the rag doll she'd found yesterday, its button eyes glowing a bright red.

The dark clouds shifted vaguely, wispy tendrils – like long spidery fingers – gesturing in some weird pattern; her instincts were raising red flags in the back of her mind, but her eyes stayed glued on the airborne doll as it raised its arm. The ice pick wobbled and trembled a few times, before jerking back awkwardly into the outstretched limb of the doll. It was this that had protection chants spilling from Mai's lips.

As she yelled each word, the cloud whirled violently, and with a final snarl, dispersed out of the room just as Mai finished the nine cuts. The doll and the ice pick clattered to the ground; Mai was almost sure she saw short red strings tied to them, but found none upon closer look.

Bou-san was finally able to kick the door open, and the team burst inside with frantic shouts and worried calls; Mai inwardly wondered how she'd managed to drown them out during the whole fiasco.

It took a solid twelve minutes to calm them down and assure them that she was fine. Ayako had been the hardest to ward off – the miko had been about to sedate her and rush her to the nearest hospital!

Masako had been the only one who seemed to care about the spirits – err, whatever was haunting the stupid manor. She had gazed perplexedly at the doll and the ice pick for quite some time before speaking.

"I cannot sense anything from the doll or the ice pick. The evil presence is still here, though it's not as strong in the room anymore," Masako turned to eye the rest of them from the corner of her eyes. "But whatever it is, it's angry that we've interrupted its plans."

It was quiet for a while – the first ever since the attack – as everyone turned this over in their heads. Mai couldn't decide as to which she was more annoyed with – the fact that the ghost or whatever it is, seemed to always want to get her in trouble; or the fact that Ayako and Bou-san 'discreetly' glanced at her like she was some sort of ticking time bomb.

They heard a door slamming open – and for a fleeting moment, they thought the spirit had come back, but Masako had merely looked expectantly at the door with amusement – followed by a pair of quick, heavy footfalls. Before they could even process that he had arrived, Naru was already in front of Mai.

"Are you alright?" He asked, blue eyes turning into a molten storm of worry and something akin to fear. He gazed at her with such intensity; Mai could only manage a meek nod as she tried to tamp down the vicious blush on her cheeks. The better part of a minute had passed with Naru boring his gaze into hers, as though searching for some more reassurance within Mai's wide eyes, relenting only when Lin and Yasuhara emerged from the door at a much calmer state.

Eventually, Yasuhara was the one who braved the awkward atmosphere, saying with a grin, "Well, isn't this an excitable haunting? Only the second day and already has Naru-bochama's panties in a twist!"

Naru's hard glare was accompanied by the other members' – who couldn't decide whether to laugh or groan – exasperated looks.

**-)x(-**

"…I really don't get it much either, but so far, I'm only certain that the female ghost Masako's been able to pinpoint is Noriko, and that she wants this stopped as well," Mai said, concluding her summarized dream re-telling. With a sigh, she took a long sip of tea, willing the warmth and aroma to calm her still slightly frazzled nerves.

It had been nearly an hour after the attack – Bou-san, John and Yasuhara had proceeded cleaning up the mess while Ayako put up protective charms throughout the room – and everyone was seated around, each sipping a cup of Mai's novelty drink. Of course, after Yasuhara's rather unorthodox icebreaker, Naru had not wasted any time in barking out orders.

Mai sighed inwardly at Naru's still brooding expression – _of course_, _Naru's default mode _had_ always been narcissistic jerk._ Then, remembering her latest dream, she turned to Yasuhara.

"Hey Yasu, did you manage to get anything on a man named '_Kazumoto'_?"

The bespectacled young man set his tea down, walking towards a side table where he'd put down all their research files earlier on. "Hmm, let's see, Kazumoto…" He mumbled as he flipped through the pages.

"Aha! Here we go – Kauzmoto Takahashi." He grinned, clearing his throat and brandishing the file with flourish. "Kazumoto Takahashi, son of the overlord back in Meiji 69…Studied abroad for some time, before going back here and marrying Rika Towako-san."

Mai did a double take. "Wait a minute, 'Rika Towako'? Yasuhara, is there any mention of 'Noriko'? I could've sworn that was the name I heard… besides, when Kazumoto returned from overseas, he didn't seem married…he was Noriko's lover at that time!" She exclaimed in shock.

Yasuhara blinked, and after flipping through his research, replied, "No… nothing significant about Noriko – wait, here we go! Noriko Sasagawa, said to be the mistress of Kazumoto-han, and later on was acquitted for murder of Kazumoto-han's son." With a shrewd smirk, Yasuhara arranged his papers again, saying, "Then again, public papers don't tell _everything_ about a person. It'll take some time, but I'm pretty sure I'll have something by tomorrow."

Mai nodded absently, brows still furrowed in bafflement.

"So then, this Noriko…maybe she's apologizing because she regrets killing Kazumoto's son? Is that it?" Takigawa offered.

Naru nodded noncommittally. "Perhaps,"

Mai frowned; it seemed a possible conclusion to draw, but it just seemed wrong. Her instincts were tingling – something was still off about all this.

"Naru." Masako spoke for the first time since entering the base. She had been sitting beside Ayako the whole time of their discussion, and only now did Mai notice the unusual pallid faces of both women, and how they both bore rather grim and fearful expressions.

It seemed she was not the only one who noticed this just now, since Naru's voice carried a sharp yet cautious undertone.

Masako shifted uneasily, one kimono sleeve lifted to just below her trembling lips.

"Ayako-san and I found something during the walkthrough. You need to come and see it." Naru nodded, motioning for Yasuhara, John and Takigawa to stay inside the base. As Mai stood up, she blinked in mild surprise and curiosity. Was it just her, or were Ayako and Masako glancing at her like she was about to drop dead?

* * *

Mai felt her jaw go slack.

_What on earth-?!_

The room Masako and Ayako led them to, was chock full of dolls and mannequins and portraits and plaster sculptures. The light fixture still worked, but the portable torches they had brought with them easily overpowered the feeble yellow bulb. Their torches danced and swiveled and bounced off the walls of the room as they slowly filed in – the more her brown eye drank in, the more Mai felt the shivers travel up and down her skin.

Masako had eyes trained to the one portion of the room where the paintings hung, eyes squinting through the dust motes.

Bou-san – after a rather shaky prod from Ayako – was the first to spot what the women had earlier seen. "Hey Masako, what are you staring a— Oh sweet mother of—"

"E-ehh?!" John and Yasuhara exclaimed, finally taking notice of the portrait.

Mai had turned with a small gasp when Bou-san called for Masako, and had slowly walked directly in front of the picture – the woman strangely looked like her…although she was almost positive she'd never be able to look as beautiful as her. But above all else, the woman looked _familiar_…

A hand brushed against hers, and Mai turned to see Naru standing beside her, a deep, unreadable look in his eyes, and his features set in a calculating expression.

In front of her, Bou-san, Yasuhara and John swiveled their eyes back and forth between the woman in the painting and their companion. Ayako's eyes showed a mix of concern and anxiety, while Naru, Lin and Masako shared grim looks. It wasn't until Mai turned perplexed gaze at Naru did the shocked silence shatter.

"Naru…" The boy's ocean deep eyes glanced at her as she said, "She looks like my great-grandmother."

Covered in a veneer of dust and dirt, the woman's eyes seemed to twinkle mysteriously at the group assembled in front of her, her warm smile not unlike that of a gracious host finally welcoming guests into her grandest hall.

**-)x(-**

**End of Chapter**

**-)x(-**

* * *

**AN: Yes, I'm sorry; it's a bit shorter than the last. But I just couldn't resist adding this in. I'm afraid the next would be in November, if not late October. Thesis and projects have now topped my list of priorities and stresses, so I hope you'll forgive me.**

**Other than that, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please drop a review~! ^^**


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